#mudfish

Ìgùn ronwwộn (brass-casting guild) artists; Court of Benin, Nigeria

Two Mudfish, c. 1540-70

Brass

“The Obà is considered a divine being who controls the forces that affect his kingdom's well-being. He was a physical and spiritual manifestation of the god Olókùn, ruler of the afterlife that lies beyond the water's surface.

That aspect of the obà is reflected in the extensive aquatic imagery featured in palace plaques. These visual references range from "river-leaf" patterns to seafaring Portuguese merchants. The mudfish is another such motif, appearing as the main subject on more than forty surviving works. Although these creatures live in streams and rivers, mudfish can also survive on land for extended periods by burrowing into mud and lying dormant. This ability to traverse two realms has made the mudfish a potent metaphor for the bà's divine nature.”

Baule artist; central Côte d'Ivoire

Anuan (door), 19th-mid-20th century

Wood, pigment

The waikaka, or black mudfish, is a real fish out of water! This species lives in the wetlands and peat lakes of New Zealand, and in the summer their habitat often dries up. To cope, black mudfish burrow intro the mud and lower their metabolism to hibernate. During these months, the fish will absorb oxygen directly through their skin, much like amphibians!

Recent art I made :3

im sorry but i HATE the first one so much i HATE IT. Ok not rlly but its not my best, its actually quite nice. Second one is my oc Comet, she's not actually blue shes red because shes a fire dragon. Shes also a god but thats mudfish lore (yes mudfish is still a thing). 3rd is Tuna!!!!!! I think i alr shared tuna? pretty sure i said smthng about a second ver of the drawing being so buns you could put a pattie on it and legally call it a burger. 4th is meowrails because i love and adore them, theyre my favorite ship.

ok how tf do i move a picture below the spoiler line i dont wanna drop body horror casually

FAAAAHHHH, IT WONT WORK WHAT AM I DOING WRONG????

BODY HORROR:

Esociformes. This order is made up of pike and mudminnows, freshwater ambush predators.

Galaxiiformes. This order is made up of mostly small freshwater fish in the Southern Hemisphere, including galaxias and mudfish.

Semi-circular Openwork Plaque, Benin, Africa,

In a culture without written records, these plaques hung on the walls of interior courtyards of the royal palace and served to recount important events in the history of the kingdom. 

This work depicts a king with a human torso but with legs formed by mudfish; he needs the help of his two attendants to stand. 

According to Benin tradition, ailing kings who were thought to have lost their power were put to death. After one legendary oba’s legs became paralyzed, he claimed his legs had been miraculously transformed into mudfish to avoid execution. 

According to tradition, the mudfish was a symbol of Benin kings because both were capable of crossing into different environments. The African mudfish can move across both land and water; similarly, kings were believed to move across both earthly and spiritual realms. 

For the same reason, frogs and crocodiles also symbolize kings. The oba’s ability to accomplish great things is symbolized here by the elephant trunk ending in a human hand.

Between 1500 and 1897,

Bronze,

Overall: 15 3/4 × 14 7/8 × 2 inches (40 × 37.8 × 5.1 cm) Including base (mount): 15 3/4 × 14 7/8 × 4 inches (40 × 37.8 × 10.2 cm)